The present invention relates to light transmitting fibers, and more particularly, to an optical fiber cable including electrical conductors which can be utilized to provide power to remote devices.
Present day optical fibers which are used for communications typically consist of a glass core having a diameter in the thousands of an inch. Surrounding the glass core is a layer of glass or plastic, generally referred as a cladding, which keeps the light waves within the glass core. Polyurethane jackets are added to the fiber to protect it from abrasion, crushing, chemicals, and the environment. Individual fibers are often grouped to form cables. A typical fiber cable can contain 1 to 24 of these fibers plus in some cases a steel wire that adds strength to the cable. The addition of this steel wire is especially important when cables are to be pulled through conduits, pipes, duct work or air vents, etc.
In many telecommunications applications, computer applications, . . . , it may be desirable to remotely power devices which interface with a central switch center, central processing unit, . . . , respectively. In order to provide power to the remote devices, a separate conductive cable must be provided. Providing the extra cable can present an additional cost for both the extra cable and for the installation of the extra cable, and can also present a severe problem if the extra cable is to be passed through a wall or bulkhead opening in which the opening has a fixed size.
The present invention provides a means for providing the conductive cabling, while providing the strengthening function, for supplying power to remote devices without requiring the need to have a separate conductive cable thereby eliminating additional costs and space problems.